United States/European Union Methane Pledge is a Big Deal - Horowitz

United States/European Union Methane Pledge is a Big Deal - Horowitz

“Cutting methane pollution is the single best chance we have to slow the rate of warming now, even as we accelerate the shift to a clean economy,” wrote Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund, in a recent commentary. Methane stays in the atmosphere for far less time than carbon dioxide-only for about 9 years or so-- but while it is in the atmosphere it is a far more efficient trapper of heat. “Pound for pound, the comparative impact of methane is 25 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period,” reports the US Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA). Over the first twenty years, methane has more than 80 times the warming impact of carbon dioxide. Methane currently accounts for 25% of global warming.

That is what makes the recent joint United States and European Union methane pledge so consequential.  These two large emitters of greenhouse gases agreed to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. Together, these two major powers are now working to enlist other nations, turning the joint methane pledge into a “global methane pledge.”

“This will not only rapidly reduce the rate of global warming, but it will also produce a very valuable side benefit, like improving public health and agricultural output,” said President Joe Biden.

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Biden is also taking steps to fulfill the pledge. Tough new methane regulations that will limit methane pollution from oil and gas production are expected to be put forward by the EPA in the next couple of weeks. Simply, fixing leaking pipes and other basic kinds of repairs is all that is needed to prevent methane leaks in many cases.  Previously, the Biden Administration restored the Obama-era regulations in this area that were gutted by the Trump Administration.

Reducing methane emissions is “one of the most cost-effective strategies to rapidly reduce the rate of warming and contribute significantly to global efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.” according to a United Nations Report cited by Inside Climate News.  

As we move towards the November International Climate Summit to be hosted in Glasgow by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, more nations are likely to sign on to the “Global Methane Pledge.”  It is now a vital component of limiting global temperature increases to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.